Saturday, April 19, 2014

So a few months ago I had my nice beautiful natural blonde hair... something possessed me to want to color my hair back dark and when the hair stylist put my first coat on.. well I guess my hair was trying to give me a sign that this was a bad idea because it didn't take to the color AT ALL. I was at the salon for close to 6 hours before my hair looked decent enough to leave. Let's just say.. I didn't leave happy and my hair left dried out and extremely treated. My hair (and my self esteem) has not been the same since! So I went on a hunt to get my hair healthy, shiny, and moisturized because my hair lacked all of those amazing qualities since I passed over to the dark side.

It's very simple and leaves your hair so healthy... shiny... and moisturized.

The only oil that is able to penetrate your hair is, of course, coconut oil! The miracle oil, is what I call it.

I also add Rosemary because it cleanses, strengthens, and nourishes hair follicles and encourages growth.

And Lavender (optional) because of its antibacterial properties, it also enhances the properties of Rosemary for improved cell regeneration and better penetration. Beneficial for dandruff too!

DIY Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

Scoop out a generous amount of coconut oil, about a 1/2 cup depending on how much hair you have. Add the essential oils, if desired, and apply to hair. Use more on the sections of hair that need more attention.

Wrap your hair up in a shower cap.

You can either leave it on for 20-30 min (for dryer hair you can leave on longer) OR you can use a blow dryer to make your own "at home" salon hair dryer and sit under it for 15 minutes, to increase the effectiveness of the oils.

After the time has passed, wash and condition your hair as usual.. you may want to wash it a few times because the coconut oil can make your hair feel oily if not all is washed out.

For hair that is REALLY dry, you can repeat this once a week.

This treatment is seriously amazing! After the treatment, my hair felt so smooth and was so shiny! I don't know if I can wait another week to do another treatment of it! :)

Apply to the feet to disperse throughout the body. And, dilute 50:50 (with a carrier oil) and apply one teaspoon to the scalp up to three times per day. Cover the head with a disposable shower cap and leave the mixture on for at least 30 minutes. Once the time has passed, then shampoo and rinse the hair and scalp well.

You can also apply the EO to a comb and comb through hair. Lice hate the smell of essential oils!

So for people who are just starting off with using essential oils, it can be a bit confusing on knowing which oils you can do what with... Can I ingest this kind? Is this one a hot oil? Do I need a carrier for this kind? etc... and then there's the question of "What can I use this oil for?" Well, I'm going to try and help you out with a few of those questions!

The 4 most popular Essential Oils are (in my opinion):LavenderLemonPeppermintMelaleuca
I use these 4 oils EVERYDAY! And I'm serious... every... single.... day. In everything! Cleaning my house, my clothes, myself, using them for medicinal remedies, in pretty much every part of my life. But lets go ahead and start off with my personal (and most every other essential oil user's) favorite, Lavender!

REMEMBER to always test the oils on the inside elbow 24 hrs prior to using internally or all over your body! And use a carrier oil when applying to children!

Lavender

This is probably the BEST smelling oil there is and it is useful in just about everything. This is definitely an oil you want to keep on hand at all times, you can get some here (don't forgot to get 10% off with coupon code greengirl). Here are some ideas that you can use Lavender for:

Sleepy Time Inducer-
Place drops of Lavender on pillows to lull restless children (and adults) into a restful sleep!

Linen Spray-
Breathe new life into musty linens with Lavender. It leaves NO oil marks and leaves linens smelling fresh!

Cold/Flu Steam Treatment-
Add 4-6 drops of Lavender to a bowl of hot water, place a towel over your head, and inhale the vapor deeply.

Splinter Remover-
Add a few drops of Lavender, let the splinter swell, and slip out!

Soap Replacement-
Rather than using soap and water at bath time. Add Lavender oil! Your skin with feel and smell wonderful!Mattress Freshener-
Put a few drops of Lavender on your mattress when you change your sheets and inhale the sweet fresh smell! (I mix Lavender oil into a cup of baking soda then sift it over my mattress. Let sit for an hour and then vacuum off!)Vacuum Helper-
Place some cotton balls soaked in Lemon and Lavender oil. Inside of your vacuum bad (or collector cup) and spread the freshness around the house as you vacuum!Attack Allergies-
Calm irritated sinuses and other respiratory issues. Apply to the back of your neck, chest, and between your eyes.First Aid Kit Must-Have-
First Aid Kits are usually geared toward minor scrapes, rashes, etc and Lavender is great for all of those! (I put Lavender on my kids band-aids when they get booboos rather than Neosporin, works great!)

Lemon

Lemon is ok for Topical, Internal, and Aromatic uses. Just stay out of the sun if you use it topically!! Lemon is my favorite for cleaning!Energy Boost-
For a quick energy boost, add Lemon EO to a glass of water and drink!

De-Gummer-
Got gum in your hair? Lemon oil will save the day!

Aphid Assassin-
Kill Aphids on contact by spraying with a combination of Lemon oil and water!

There are so many more uses for these oils and every other oil there is! Remember to ALWAYS test the oils on the inside elbow for 24 hrs prior to using internally or before using all over your body! Make sure you use a carrier oil when using on children!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Alright so I made this stuff the other day (and I LOVE it) and I took step by step pictures while I was making it... Well... my camera decided to play a little trick on me by leaving my memory card in my computer. ;) So I won't have any step by step pictures so I will be your guide along this DIY creation.

This lotion is WONDERFUL! I use it every day, either all over or just my hands. It is great for eczema sufferers!!

Now I'm sure you thought.. "Lotion that cleans at the same time?" because I thought that to myself when I first saw this. Well it's those miraculous little bottles of oils that does the trick.. yet again!

DIY Moisturizing Antibacterial Lotion

Ingredients

16oz baby lotion (the johnsons pink bottle, sorry I put jergins before, or any other lotion)

This is SUCH an easy recipe and it makes quite a bit! Just mix all the ingredients into a bowl and use a hand mixer to mix it together. Now, there are quite a few different essential oils that are good for antibacterial properties, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Eucalyptus, Lavender, Oregano, etc) Add 10 drops per 4oz. I added mine into the Vitamin E container before adding the lotion mixture into it. Stir it together and you're done! I used 5 Eucalyptus and 5 Lavender and it smells so nice!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Since I've started making "The Switch" to the medicine/chemical free life I have learned SOO much on how to replace my medicine cabinet! Here are some of the remedies I have learned so far..

FOR CHILDREN: If you use oils on your children ALWAYS dilute using a carrier oil. I will be posting a recipe for a Naked Salve that I use ALL of the time. You can use fractioned coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil.. whichever one you prefer!

Thank you to Campwander.com for sharing these remedies!

Essential Oil Remedies

1. Hiccups- Dab some Peppermint on the back of your neck, a little on each side of the spinal cord.

2. Runny Nose- Swipe a drop of Lemon down each side of the nose to dry it up. Stay out of the sun afterwards to avoid sunburn!!

3. Drowsy- Combine Peppermint and Wild Orange, apply to back of the beck, next inhale the oil left on your hands! (I do equal parts Peppermint and Wild Orange to 50% carrier oil and keep in a roller bottle. One of my favorite remedies!!)

4. Itchy/Irritated Eyes- Dab Lavender with a bit of carrier oil on the facial bones surrounding your eyes (careful to keep oil away from eyes) If applying to children, make sure they DO NOT rub their eyes until oil is absorbed.

5. Allergies- Mix equal parts Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint (natures antibiotic) Apply to bottom's of feet morning and night. Diffuse if you can! Sparknaturals.com now sells the blend (LLP blend) I use this on my husband and oldest son and it clears them up almost instantly! I carry this blend in my to-go tin and when their allergies act up I mix it with some Naked Salve and apply to their feet and I put equal parts onto a Kleenex and have them inhale it every couple minutes.

6. Ear Ache/Infection- Combine 2 drops Basil or Melaleuca with a little carrier oil and rub around the rim of ear, behind ear and just inside. Apply several times a day. Never drop essential oils into the ear!!

7. Trouble breathing- Due to congestion or asthma? Apply Respire blend on chest, then cup one hand against palm with residual Respire blend on it, creating inhaler, and suck the vapors from palm into chest for quick relief.

11. Warts or Skin tags- Apply morning and night. If using Oregano, use q-tip to dab one drop of on affected area.. this will give you good control of application. Oregano is a hot oil so you won't want to spread it around. Skin tags should fall off in a couple of weeks!

For Kids:Lemon works wonderfully too! Apply morning and night and don't cover with a bandaid, it's important to let the area breath. Also, it's convenient to put the EO's in a roll-on bottle so kids can apply themselves.

12. Cellulite- Pour a bottle of Grapefruit Oil into a 4 oz. bottle of fractioned coconut oil and rub into problem areas after shower or bath. You'll smell delicious and your skin will be so soft!

14. Sanitizing Wipes- Make your own!! or add Lemon and Lavender (or EO's of choice) to store bought baby wipes. Remove wipes from container, squeeze out excess moisture, and let dry out for few hours. Slowly add alcohol free Witch Hazel with 6 drops each of Lavender and Lemon added and pour over wrung out or dried out store bought wipes.

15. Muscle Aches- 1 part Amend blend with 1 part fractionated coconut oil as a penetrating, pain relieving massage oil, add a drop of Birch or Wintergreen for extra strength.

16. Fever- A few drops of Peppermint mixed with a carrier oil and applied to the torso can drop body temp 3 degrees in minutes!

17. Burns- A drop of Lavender will immediately stop the pain and tissue damage!!

18. Heartburn- A couple drops of Peppermint in a small glass of milk or almond milk with knock heartburn out!

20. Wet cough- Mix a spoonful of honey with a drop or two of Lemon EO and drink!

ShotGlass Remedies

Allergies-

2TBsp- Water

3 drops- Lavender EO

3 drops- Lemon EO

3 drops- Peppermint EO

Drink 3x's daily with symptoms.

Mouthwash-

2TBsp- Water

2 drops- Peppermint EO

2 drops- Shield blend

Swish & Swallow!

Strep & Soar Throat-

2TBsp- Water

2 drops- Oregano EO

2 drops- Lemon EO

Gargle as long as you can. Spit and swallow!

Oil Pull-

1TBsp- Coconut oil

2 drops- Shield blend

2 drops- Melaleuca EO

Pull & swish 10-20 min. SPIT in trash!

Tooth Ache-

2TBsp- Water

2 drops- Shield blend

2 drops- Clove EO

1 drop- Melaleuca EO

Swish through & around teeth 10 min. SPIT!

Mouth & Gums

2TBsp- Water

2 drops- Myrrh EO

2 drops- Clove EO

1 drop- Lavender EO

Swish up to 10 min and SPIT!

Cold & Flu Bomb-

2TBsp- Water

3 drops- Oregano EO

3 drops Melaleuca EO

3 drops- Shield EO

Drink quickly every 3hrs for first 2 days, 3x's daily for 2 days after symptoms subside. Drink quick! It can be hot! Can rub coconut oil on lips if hot!

Indigestion-

2TBsp- Water

2-3 drops- Peppermint EO

Drink quickly! Chase with almond or coconut milk.

Curb your Appetite-

2TBsp- Water

2 drops- Peppermint EO

2 drops- Grapefruit EO

2 drops- Ginger EO

Drink quickly as needed!

I've used most of these and let me tell you.. I was skeptical about the effectiveness of EO's but after using them I am now a complete believer in them! They have turned my world upside down and for the better!

Don't forget to use coupon code: Greengirl at Sparknaturals.com to receive 10% off at any time!!

So I will probably be posting quite a few things today.. I have a couple of things I've already made and guess this will be a "catch up" day to get this blog started.

This past week I really wanted to get something other than my diffuser going in order to make my house pretty smelling. So I went on the hunt for some DIY soy candles! I was looking for something on the easier side because, you know, between paychecks it get's a little tight, and we are one of those frugal folks. So I found a "recipe" that was PERFECT for what I was looking for!

These candles are PERFECT for those times when a big storm comes and the electricity decide's to leave us in the dark. Or for when you just want a cute, pretty smelling, candle to burn.

Whew... it has been a busy few weeks! My husband has been working 120hr weeks and I have been trying to get spring cleaning done and keep the kiddos happy! So I haven't been able to get this blog started but today I decided to sit down and take some time to get this show on the road!

I went with my husband on a work road trip to south Alabama, which was nice to get to spend some time with him after not seeing him for weeks, but on our trip we were able to talk about ALOT of things. One thing being the chickens!! ((Which I am SO excited about!)) This will be our first big step towards our homestead started. I found plans for a chicken coop I want him to build.....

And found some Lavender Orpington chicks that will be available in May, which will give us plenty of time to get the coop built!

We also talked about getting a goat in the next year but I need to get some research going on the care and what-not on keeping goats. I am SO excited to get started on the homestead! I am also SO thankful for such a supportive husband, he has been right there with me on getting this started, which I totally didn't expect. :)

Now for the next "area" of homesteading.... gardening. I am very well known for my "brown-thumb" so I am PRAYING that I do well with keeping a garden alive. I've been trying to decide on where to plant everything, near the house for out in the field? What plants should I start with? I was thinking some blackberry/rasberry bushes. Maybe start strawberries, tomatoes, peppers.. I have a bunch of organic seeds so I need to get these babies started soon so they will be ready in time. If anyone reading this has any tips on gardening PLEASE chime in.. I need all the help I can get ! ;)

SparkNaturals

About Me

My name is Kelly! I am a stay at home wife/mother of two boys. I am in the process of becoming a homesteader. I now make and use all homemade/chemical free cleaners, beauty products, and medicines. With the help of essential oils my family and I are becoming healthier everyday.